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Saturday, March 31, 2007

The Unthinkable

The man, whose name is being withheld to protect the identity of the victim, was convicted of the March 10, 2006, incident on Friday. Just days after his daughter's 16th birthday, the man took her to a graveyard and told her to lie down.

"You're know you're old enough to date boys now," he told her. "I'm about to break you in."

I came across this story and after choking on my morning coffee in disgust, I didn't know what to say. Then I remembered a post from Casper and Elliot, from awhile ago that seemed to hit the sentiment I wanted to express right on the head:

I don't want rape and incest to be illegal. I want it to be unthinkable.

Of course, what he's really doing most of the time, particularly considering that in nearly every instance the offender is white, is saying, "Hey! Look what the white person did!" Granted, it's in a roundabout sort of way, but if he were any more blunt about it even he couldn't wiggle his way out of such blatant racist rhetoric.

Curiously, based on Kane's constant hand-wringing over the color of the suspect's skin and quick assumption that it's black, one might be left wondering if Kane always thinks the worst of black people. I mean, if I were to always assume that a criminal were black until told otherwise, isn't that what Kane would accuse me of?

Understandably, Kane is concerned over the potential "portrayal of black dysfunction" if it turns out the person or people are black, but maybe the first step in overcoming something like this is not making the color of their skin the most paramount fact.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Save Internet Radio

If I had to recall the number of petitions I've been asked to sign in the last year, it'd probably take me an hour.

But, if I had to recall the number of petitions I actually signed, well that would be a whole lot easier.

Here's one of them. If you ever stream internet radio at your computer while you're blogging or at work, then you may want to sign this one:

Online music is in danger. In March, the Copyright Royalty Board announced a decision that could drastically impact the variety and diversity of music available on the Internet. All "webcasters," nonprofit and for-profit, small and large, face a massive hike in the royalties they pay every time they play a song. The exorbitant fees could put small, independent webcasters out of business and force the large webcasters to adopt the cookie-cutter model of traditional radio. The fees would be unsustainable for public radio webcasters who would be forced to significantly reduce the alternative and cultural programming they offer.

We need to stop the new charges before they go into effect. The Copyright Royalty Board isn't used hearing from the public, so your action can really make a difference. Sign the petition today.

A Touching Tale

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from University.

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled.

Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapuwere standing.

The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.

The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

N.G. or G.A.?

Okay...chalk this one up to me just not feeling like doing the research. But with all the talk of bringing in the National Guard to protect Milwaukee's inner city, has there been any consideration given to the Guardian Angels? Or are they already here?

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Kane Watch: Where is the Anger????

Kane's newest column, a reaction to the murder of Scott Huggins, is more of the same garbage we've come to expect from this race baiter. Kane actually goes so far as to cry racism over the reaction to Scott Huggins's death. While I don't agree with much of what Kane has to say because, as Charlie pointed out, most of us didn't know Huggins was white until later in the process, I've decided to play devil's advocate for this column.

Let's take a look at some of Kane's claims.

For those of us who regularly travel the central city, the possibility of crime and violence is always a daunting reality.

The sad fact that crime and violence is a reality to some people in this city does not make it a reality for others in our overall community. That is why people who don't live in the inner city (or in Gene's terms), white folks, tend to react so strongly to such cases. It's not just an outcry, it's a position that it won't be tolerated. And, it's my opinion that this positioning is what makes the biggest difference between the suburbs and the inner city.

I also realized upon hearing the story that since Huggins was white, it would be a bigger deal than most crime in our city.

I think that Gene believes black people in this city have no valid opinions and can take no action. Why? Because according to this logic, a crime is only a "big deal" if white people react to it. Apparently, the reaction of the mother whose son was recently gunned down, doesn't matter to Kane.

It makes me wonder if the routine police blotter of death in the central city simply never registered until the victim was a white suburbanite.

Clearly Gene has been on vacation. If he had been in town, he may have heard the various talk shows and tv news covering the recent shootings and crime in the city. The race of the victims only comes in to play when Gene is writing an article. So, this point is pretty moot.

It also suggests a troublesome, but understandable, double standard when some become outraged about central city violence only when it happens to someone who looks like them.

Again, Gene has made the assumption that no news media or citizens reacted to any of the other violent acts in the city as of late. This statement is completely idiotic and misinformed.

I don't play the usual game in town that calls for quick response to a white death while a black death just reaffirms the black community's violent dysfunction.

And here, my friends, is the biggest kick of all: It's not that a black death reaffirms the black community's violent dysfunction. Nope. It's Gene's statement before that reaffirms the black community's violent dysfunction: For those of us who regularly travel the central city, the possibility of crime and violence is always a daunting reality.It is this attitude that enforces that things will never change in the inner city. It's the Eugene Kane's of the world who expect violence and treat it as an everyday occurrence. When a "white folk" is killed at a gas station, other "white folks" react to it because it is not a part of our world view that pumping gas means taking your life into your own hands.

It's because "white folks" believe that 17 year olds should not be feared, and driving down the street should not be more stressful than the traffic, and 11 year old girls should not be gang raped by 20 men in what is, apparently, a common occurrence, that "white folks" are outraged.

Maybe when the residents of the inner city and the voice that represents them show the same kind of outrage, the criminals themselves will have something to fear.

Kane's title says it all: Where's Anger When Victim is Black? Where is the anger, Gene? That column should express that every single life that is lost in the inner city to violence deserves the same kind of reaction from the community members to which those people belonged.

While he should be contrasting the "white" outrage to the "black" complacency, he tries instead to show racism. Turn the mirror on yourself, Gene. You'll see a whole different picture.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Kane Watch: He's the only one who knows what he's talking about

It was a terrible random crime, but the people who point to that intersection asbeing dangerous for most residents simply don't know what they're talking about.

Kane claims that "[f]or years, [he] was a regular guest on WMCS-AM radio station on W. Capitol Dr. on Monday mornings."

So, in spite of people like James T. Harris, who actually lives in the area, claiming how unsafe he feels walking his dog, Mr. Kane's occassional journey into the neighborhood qualifies him to say others don't know what they're talking about. Heh...I'd be curious to know just how many other people in that area don't know what they're talking about. Thank goodness Gene is around to put them in their place.

Friday, March 23, 2007

For the record...

I abhor abortion. I believe it to be one of the most vile and disgusting practices to which humankind has lowered itself. Though I feel a tremendous sympathy for those who have had to resort to it in some effort to save themselves I also feel a great sadness for all the life that is lost. More unborn children have been murdered as a result of abortion than soldiers have died in Iraq.

But never, NEVER, will I advocate for the willful destruction of an abortion clinic or the death of one of its practitioners.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Left Behind

With all the chewing, digging, shoving his snout in my eye (of all places) to wake me up in the morning and howling at pretty much anything that comes within one hundred feet of the house (including the lawn), one would think that getting a few days away from him would be a pleasure.

One wouldn't think that six hours after handing him off to a friend for dog-sitting duties I'd be missing him.

Next time, he's going on vacation with me. I think I can pass him off as an excessively hairy child, don't you?

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Scum of the Earth

In case these despicable idiots, ever decide to apply for jobs, it's my hope that their to-be employers google their names. If they do, they will learn that these disrespectful morons are not worthy of employment at reputable institutions. Unless, that is, the institution has a respect for those who vandalize, terrorize and disrespect our uniformed countrymen.

So, be it known, that the following individuals are, in my opinion, scum of the earth. And, may google always remind you, and your potential employers of your errant ways:

It was recently pointed out to me that things can be written in newspapers, and aired on tv and radio, but eventually they go away. The internet, however, is a different animal. Thanks to google, it's a lot easier to remember who did what to whom. Not so convenient for the idiots of the world.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Bay View Resident's Opinion

Since Eugene decided to bring the rash of robberies in Bay View into his most recent article, I felt compelled to respond seeing as Bay View happens to be my neighborhood.

Kane wrote:

So I wasn't surprised there were no insinuating racial phone calls this week from readers about a rash of robberies in Bay View. As it turns out, some witnesses described the prime suspect as white. He could be a light-skinned black person, but until that's determined, none of the usual suspects can treat this as another example of black crime gone mad.

I'd like to offer an alternative reason for the lack of insinuating racial phone calls about examples of black crime gone mad: This has nothing to do with the man's race and this isn't crime gone mad. The real reason all hell hasn't broke loose throughout the larger community of the city is because this criminal has yet (to our knowledge) to murder an innocent bystander in the course of his crimes.

In Bay View, you won't find a townie who will respond that people get "popped" here every day because, that, Gene, is madness. Just because it's normal in some parts of this city doesn't mean it's "normal" at all. It's just madness and that is the definition of crime gone mad.

Why is this important? Without so much as checking the newspaper for a link, here are some of the recent crimes I can think of in the inner city and surrounding areas, that I define as crime gone mad: (1) 50-something year old man murdered in broad daylight by a stray bullet. (2) 19 year old pregnant woman murdered in broad daylight in a gang shooting (3) Recent robbery at a gas station that left a clerk dead. (4) Woman hit by stray bullet at a northside bar. (5) 4 gunshot victims that left 2 dead (at my last reading). (6) An 18-year-old boy shot by a police officer because he was believed to be party to a gunfight and appeared to be reaching for a weapon.

Want me to keep going? I think we all (except Gene) get the point.

What really pisses me off is when Kane positions what is otherwise an exceptional situation in one part of the city (how 'bout that middle-of-the-day eastside rape, for example) and then uses it to suggest that all of the city is in as much trouble and as dangerous as the inner city.

What an idiot.

I suppose that's also why he's rejoicing that charges have been brought against a cop. Figures. I would guess that at worst, cops contribute to 1% of the crimes in this city. But yeah, let's go after the cops. They're the ones causing the real problems here. I'm sure he's right that as soon as black people can trust all the evil cops in the city, then all the problems will go away and people will just start snitchin'.

I'm gonna hold my breath for that.

Not really. But what I am going to do is keep my little house in Bay View and not worry about a stray bullet coming through my window. I'm going to rest assured that the business owners in this community are taking measures to get this guy caught and the police are helping them do it. I'm going to smile knowing that recently, a Bay Viewer passing by a storefront thought he was witnessing a robbery in progress, called the cops and then realized that it was just a yoga class.

When things like that start to happen in the inner city, then maybe Kane can have me believing that I'd be just as safe there as I am here. Oh wait, I got that backwards: Gene wants us to think that I'm in as much danger here as I would be there.

There's an explosion in my pants!

One of the nice things about having a blog named Ask Me Later is that it often ends up at or near the top of blogrolls. Christian Schneider, f.k.a. Dennis York, seems to have figured that out by naming his new blog Atomic Trousers. Although, as I was updating our blogroll I accidentally typed Atomic Underwear which, quite frankly, I think would have been a much better name.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

The Pack is Growing

A 42-year-old satanic vampire named Jonathon “The Impaler” Sharkey has thrown his hat in the ring for the presidency as the Vampire, Witches and Pagan Party. Unfortunately, most of his platform consists of impaling President George W. Bush, which has attracted the attention of the Secret Service.

According to Sharkey, Secret Service agents visited him and his 19-year-oldwife, Spree, in Ohio on Feb. 15. The visit concerned Sharkey’s repeated remarksabout impaling Bush, an act Sharkey said he would only do if he were electedpresident.

“They never even asked to see my impaling stick,”Sharkey said.[...]

“They were telling me, when they were interrogating me, that their job wasto protect Bush even after he’s out of office,” Sharkey said. “I’m looking atthem like, ‘Oh, you’re going to defy me when I become president?’”

[...]

“Under the First Amendment, what it boils down to here is whether or nothe’s a vampire who wants to impale the president,” Richards said. “I guess thequestion is, if he’s a vampire, why is he the one staking people? Shouldn’t hewant to bite the president and feed on him? [This], I suppose, is perhapsfurther evidence that this is not a true threat.”

Although I've already announced the formation of my presidential exploratory committee, this guy being in the race makes me a bit nervous.

Watch This!

I am immensely particular when it comes to the kind of watch I wear. In fact, I've had to specifically instruct people not to get me a watch as a gift unless they're absolutely certain it's one I'm going to like, which usually means I've been in the store with that person and said, "I really like that watch!" That's how I ended up getting my last watch as a Christmas present a couple years ago.

Well, a few weeks ago I decided I no longer wanted that watch. I was in an inebriated state at the time, so it either ended up at the bottom of the Milwaukee River or as a gift to Miss Gay Latina Wisconsin (long story). Either way, I've been watch-less ever since and depending on my cell phone to tell me the time, which gets pretty inconvenient after a while. All this time I've been eyeing up watches wherever I am, be it in a department store or even at a CSV. And all this time I haven't managed to find anything I liked.

That is, until last night.

Meet the ZX1 Drivers LED Watch, a replica of a 1970s Pulsar model. Finally, I've found something where I won't have to go through all that excruciating work of turning my wrist all the way around to know what time it is! I ordered it online yesterday and am anxiously awaiting its arrival.Hey, some people get excited over newkids, I get excited over a new watch. We all have our priorities.

Monday, March 12, 2007

It's a Small World

Over at The Unpleasantness, one of the blogs on the blogroll has a blog on its blogroll (still following me?) I was checking out. It's someone from Milwaukee whom I've never met and has a decidedly non-political bent to her content, so until recently I hadn't come across Czeltic Girl. So imagine my surprise that when going through some of her Flickr photos I discover that apparently she's friends with an old roommate of mine!

And all this time I thought I'd never have to see that guy again. Years of therapy, down the drain.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

International Women's Day

Today is International Women's Day. Since my co-blogger is one of those, I'm not going to make any jokes, even though my head is about to explode with all the possibilities. No, not going to do it. Not here. Not at all.

So, in honor of the day, hug a woman.

(I'm assuming no liability for the woman you choose to hug...so pick carefully.)

***UPDATE!***

Oh good lord...the Journal Sentinel is featuring an interview with Barbie. The doll. On International Women's Day. And people wonder why I'm having a hard time not making jokes.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Sub-Human of the Week Award...

...goes to this piece of crap in Boston who's suing for child-rearing costs because her abortion failed.

If she didn't want the kid so much, she could still give it up for adoption. Maybe then the child will have the good fortune of being raised by someone who actually loves her and wants her in their lives rather than someone who sees her as nothing more than a burden.

Or maybe she shouldn't have had sex in the first place. Seems to me people like this should do everything they can to avoid procreation (short of abortion, that is).

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

The Fun of Blogging

I've finally come to terms with something regarding blogging, and that's that I really only want to do it if it's fun. If ever I find myself investing so much time into a post that it seems more like work than a hobby, I start to develop a strong distaste for doing it at all. And lately, when it comes to writing about current events, politics or Eugene Kane, it just hasn't been that fun.

That's why I'm really enjoying doing The Unpleasantness. Writing the posts and being an overall belligerent a$$ comes so much more naturally to me than anything I do here. Now, don't think for a moment that will excuse you from having to toil through my opinions on more meaningful matters, which will remain here, just realize that I've gotta be me, and it's The Unpleasantness that lets me do it.

What I'm getting at here is some advice for any blogger who struggles to write something on a regular basis. If you're forcing yourself to do it but not really enjoying it, then take a moment to consider what it is you're writing in the first place. I've started about 20 different novels over the years, and have found that the ones I get the furthest into are the ones I truly enjoy writing. If writing it is too much a chore, then how am I ever to expect anyone to enjoy reading it? The same goes for this little world we have here. Don't bother commenting on a topic just because you feel you need to. Write about it only if you want to. Your final product will be so much better and enjoyable to read, and you'll eliminate a lot of unnecessary stress from your life.

Of course, all of this really only applies if you're blogging as a hobby, and not as a job, in which case you should ignore absolutely everything I've just said and get your butt back to work!

Monday, March 05, 2007

Kane Watch: No way else to put it

Maybe it's the fact that I've been spending a lot of time lately just being unpleasant, or maybe it's just that I had a bottle of bourbon with lunch, but I'm going to approach this Kane Watch with a tad more belligerence than normal.

Eugene Kane can suck my b***s!

I'm sick and tired of his asinine and ignorant commentary on the state of American politics. I'd suggest he stick to more local news, such as covering race relations in Milwaukee, but he's just as piss-poor at that as anything else.

Today on his blog he throws out a salty little statement on how the Republican party is only fielding three white guys for President while the Democrats are apparently blessing us with the diversity of a woman, an African-American and a Hispanic.

Never mind that George W. first appointed an African-American to Secretary of State and later followed up with the first female African-American to the position. Ignore the numerous Hispanics in his cabinet. And forget the fact that any time an African-American is a Republican they're usually met with scorn by the likes of Kane. No, diversity is something that should only be recognized when it's done by the left. It's a case of Uncle Tomism if the right does it, but when African-Americans drink the Liberal Kool Aid, in spite of constant assertions from people like Kane that not all blacks think alike, well, that's all just fine and dandy.

Oh, and for the record, this example of diversity Kane so proudly trumpets is nothing more than a recognition of the color of their skin or what's in (or not in) their pants, and has so little to do with the content of their character. But that's okay, because diversity (conveniently demonstrated when photo-ops are available), trumps all else in the arena of politics.

Need Feedback

I'm considering a short, mid-week trip to the Dells in the next couple of weeks. Basically, I'd like to relive a portion of my childhood and stay at a resort with a large indoor waterpark. So far the deals I've found all seem fairly comparable, so much of my decision will be based on the quality of the waterpark. My choices are:

The Wilderness

Great Wolf Run

The Kalahari

If anyone has any comments on any of these, or recommendations for someplace better, please leave a comment. Otherwise I may be spending my time off on a Slip-and-Slide in my kitchen.

Drinking Right, Jr.

Not sure yet if I'll be able to make it, but if you can, you should definitely stop by. And if Aaron and Kelly are there, it might be your last opportunity to see them before they're officially in the family way.

Friday, March 02, 2007

And now for something completely different

If there's one thing that's become abundantly clear to me in recent weeks it's that this blog just ain't big enough for all of my personalities. The lonely construction worker and the little girl in me are constantly at odds with one another and most of the time that leaves the Scandinavian painter with a penchant for senseless violence running the show. My doctor tells me I should consider taking my Lithium more seriously, but every time I try to open the bottle it shouts obscenities at me.

Anyhoo, I figured the time has come for me to have a home where I can be short on substance and long on abuse. Frankly, I'm not a big fan of just about anyone or anything, and someone has been telling me lately that I seem to really enjoy complaining, so why not share my glowing attitude with the rest of the world?

So stop on by The Unpleasantness. If you've ever crossed me you can pretty much rest assured that someday your face along with a story I'm sure I'll get at least a few people to believe will grace its pages. If you haven't crossed me, you obviously haven't been trying hard enough.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Is that a Voodoo doll in your pocket or are you happy to see me?

Several years ago I was in New Orleans and became entranced by Voodoo. Some may say I was put under a Voodoo hex. Others might point out the copious amounts of alcohol I consumed and use that to explain the zombie-like glazed over look I sported for three days straight. Either way, I took to yelling "Voodoo!" at the top of my lungs whenever I could as an explanation for just about anything and everything, including why I punched that police horse after it disappointed me by not being able to jump over the flaming fountain at Pat O'Briens.

When I returned to the Big Easy a couple years later (in disguise and under an assumed name because of the past unpleasantness), I was once again overcome by the lure of Voodoo...and a Lucky Dog. I cursed the city and all that it stood for. Two weeks after I left, Hurrican Katrina struck.

All of which leads me to the point of this post, which is that some people need to start taking Voodoo a little more seriously, like this fire marshall in Middleton.